SEC Tournament: Coaches Asked About Team Gun Policies In Wake Of Brandon Miller Incident At Alabama

NASHVILLE, TN- One of the biggest topics of discussion at the SEC Tournament obviously centers around Brandon Miller and the Alabama basketball program. There was also the opportunity to ask opposing coaches their opinion on gun rules within their own programs.

This question was asked by one reporter on Thursday during postgame press conferences for a number of teams.

One coach who did attack the question head-on was Tennessee's Rick Barnes, who made it clear that he has two distinct rules for his players. Never do anything domestically to a female and don't possess a gun, anywhere.

"University has a Code of Conduct policy. No weapons allowed on campus. But as a team, that is our rule, too, no one on the team," Rick Barnes noted. "Two things that we have. One of them is that you can never, ever do anything domestically against a female. You can never carry a firearm is a team rule. But the university also has that policy in place."

Brandon Miller breaks silence. (Credit: Getty Images)

BRANDON MILLER BREAKS SILENCE ON JANUARY INCIDENT

It's a valid question, and the opportunity to get in front of every coach at the SEC Tournament presents the chance to get a feel of every program, considering the news out of Tuscaloosa over the past three months. Now, this doesn't mean a coach is going to give and honest answer or want to go down that road at the moment.

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Other SEC Coaches Weigh-In On The Current Gun Conversation

Following the Bulldogs win over Florida on Thursday, Jans was asked about his policy on guns within the team. Whether he didn't know is up for debate, but it did not feel like Chris Jans was ready to discuss team policies.

"That's a good question. Not sure I know the correct answer to that right now," Jans said following the win on Thursday.

It was clear that Rick Barnes didn't have a problem letting his policies about guns be known, especially as it pertained directly to his team. The same can be said for Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, who pointed towards the school's policy regarding guns on-campus.

"For sure we have a gun -- guns are prohibited on our campus unless you're certified by the
state. The expectation for all student-athlete is to follow the university policy."

As for Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, he mentioned after the loss to Arkansas that he talks with his team about circumstances of life and expectations of a student-athlete.

"We talk about -- as a basketball coach, we talk about lots of things for them as student-athletes.
That's our biggest job. Some of it's basketball, but some of it's just life in general. We have conversations about everything," Pearl noted.

These questions will continue, with Alabama, Brandon Miller and four more teams making their first appearance in Nashville.